Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 36 | Page 26

TRENDING Attackers are taking advantage of them by loading malware that is continually mining because these devices are always on and connected. In addition, the interfaces for these devices are being exploited as modified web browsers, which expands the vulnerabilities and exploit vectors on them. Segmentation will be increasingly important for devices connected to enterprise networks as this trend continues. Botnet trends demonstrate the creativity of cybercriminals rely on AI-informed threat intelligence insights to focus their efforts on patching vulnerabilities that matter.” Highlights of the report are as follows: Data on botnet trends gives a valuable post-compromise viewpoint of how cybercriminals are maximising impact with multiple malicious actions. Virtually no firm is immune from severe exploits WICKED, a new Mirai botnet variant, added at least three exploits to its arsenal to target unpatched IoT devices. VPNFilter, the advanced nation-state-sponsored attack that targets SCADA/ICS environments by monitoring MODBUS SCADA protocols, emerged as a significant threat. Analysis focused on critical and high-severity detections demonstrates an alarming trend with 96% of firms experiencing at least one severe exploit. Almost no firm is immune to the evolving attack trends of cybercriminals. In addition, nearly a quarter of companies saw cryptojacking malware and only six malware variants spread to over 10% of all organisations. FortiGuard Labs also found 30 new zero-day vulnerabilities during the quarter. Cryptojacking moves to IoT devices in the home Mining for cryptocurrency continues. Cybercriminals added IoT devices, including media devices in the home, to their arsenals. They are an especially attractive target because of their rich source of computational horsepower, which can be used for malicious purposes. 26 INTELLIGENTCIO It is particularly dangerous because it not only performs data exfiltration but can also render devices completely inoperable, either individually or as a group. The Anubis variant from the Bankbot family introduced several innovations. It is capable of performing ransomware, keylogger, RAT functions, SMS interception, lock screen and call forwarding. Keeping tabs of morphing attacks with actionable threat intelligence is vital as creativity expands. Malware developers leverage agile development Malware authors have long relied on polymorphism to evade detection. Recent attack trends show they are turning to agile www.intelligentcio.com